While a lot of people don’t love the idea of the Ohio State Buckeyes playing a bunch of 12 noon ET games, it sure helps open up the rest of the day for college football watching. The Buckeyes will be kicking the day off on FOX in the rain at The Horseshoe today against the No. 13 Wisconsin Badgers.
From there, it’s not the prettiest slate of college football action, but there is at least something of interest in each of the other windows to keep you glued to your couch and the TV.
12 noon ET Window
With the Buckeyes and the Badgers playing on FOX, there’s nothing worth flipping to, or having on a second screen during the early afternoon window. Although, I will be keeping an eye on Rutgers, to see if in the 150th year of college football, they can loss at home to Liberty. B1G! B1G! B1G!
Afternoon Window
No. 9 Auburn Tigers at No. 2 LSU Tigers | 3:30 p.m. ET | CBS
How incompetent is the SEC to allow two teams to have the same mascot/nickname? Either way it will be a battle of stripped cats down in the bayou this afternoon as Gus Malzahn brings in his Auburn team in hopes of derailing Coach O and Joe Burrow’s LSU crew.
A win for Auburn would give them a huge jolt in national prominence, while also keeping them alive in the race for the SEC West championship, with the Iron Bowl looming at the end of the season.
For LSU, a victory today would be another feather in their caps as they build an impressive resume for the College Football Playoff committee to consider, even if they lose to Alabama on Nov. 9 and don’t make the SEC Championship game.
It’s for that reason that I’m pulling for the Tigers from The Plains to win, and make it a little more difficult for LSU to be a second team to make the CFP from the SEC; although, I personally think that LSU will end up beating Alabama in two week’s time.
No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions at Michigan State | 3:30 p.m. ET | ABC
If Ohio State escapes the Badgers today like I think they will (my official prediction is 38-17 Buckeyes), OSU will have three weeks of byes before they play PSU (technically its one bye then Maryland and Rutgers). We’ve seen what Michigan State is able to do on defense, and what they aren’t able to do on offense. This game should give us another measuring stick in determining just how good the Nittany Lions are this season (I think that they are very good).
Evening Window
No. 8 Notre Dame at No. 19 Michigan | 7:30 p.m. ET | ABC
The Catholics vs. the Khakis, the game in which I root for both teams to lose. or at least for the game to somehow root in a 0-0 tie. Tonight’s game won’t have much of an impact on the national landscape, but t will have major implications for the outlook for these teams moving forward. If Notre Dame wins, they hold on to a slim hope of sneaking into the College Football Playoff. For Michigan, a third L on the season would be a disastrous turn for Jim Harbaugh’s crew. With losable games against Michigan State, Indiana (yes, Indiana), and of course Ohio State, a 8-4 — or even 7-5 — regular season would bring on a cascade of calls to replace the Michigan Man at the top of the program. You hate to see it.
Pac-12 After Dark Window
Washington State Cougars at No. 11 Oregon Ducks
Any game featuring Mike Leach’s bonkers passing attack is generally entertaining to watch, but when you combine it with the Pac-12’s best passing defense, something’s gotta give.
Wazzu comes in as the most productive passing team in the country, averaging 440.7 yards through the air per game. On the flip side, the Ducks are allowing on 178.6 yards through the air.
Before defeating Colorado 41-10 last week, the Cougs had lost three straight, but had put up a combined 110 points in those losses; on the season the Quack Attack has allowed just 83 points in seven games. This should be a worthwhile Pac-12 After Dark game of contrasting styles.
Check out the complete Saturday college football schedule:
Week 9 Saturday College Football Schedule
Matchup | Time (ET) | TV | Streaming |
---|---|---|---|
Matchup | Time (ET) | TV | Streaming |
#13 Wisconsin at #3 Ohio State | 12:00 PM | FOX | FoxSportsGo.com |
#5 Oklahoma at Kansas State | 12:00 PM | ABC | WatchESPN.com |
#20 Iowa at Northwestern | 12:00 PM | ESPN2 | WatchESPN.com |
#21 Appalachian State at South Alabama | 12:00 PM | ESPNU | WatchESPN.com |
Miami at Pittsburgh | 12:00 PM | ESPN | WatchESPN.com |
San Jose State at Army | 12:00 PM | CBSSN | CBSSports.com |
Mississippi State at Texas A&M | 12:00 PM | SEC Network | WatchESPN.com |
Illinois at Purdue | 12:00 PM | BTN | FoxSportsGo.com |
Liberty at Rutgers | 12:00 PM | BTN | FoxSportsGo.com |
Bowling Green at Western Michigan | 12:00 PM | ESPN3 | WatchESPN.com |
Southern Mississippi at Rice | 1:00 PM | ESPN+ | ESPN+ |
Nevada at Wyoming | 2:00 PM | AT&T Sportsnet | TheMW.com |
Ohio at Ball State | 2:00 PM | ESPN+ | ESPN+ |
Western Kentucky at Marshall | 2:30 PM | None | |
New Mexico State at Georgia Southern | 3:00 PM | ESPN3 | WatchESPN.com |
#9 Auburn at #2 LSU | 3:30 PM | CBS | CBSSports.com |
#6 Penn State at Michigan State | 3:30 PM | ABC | WatchESPN.com |
#15 Texas at TCU | 3:30 PM | FOX | FoxSportsGo.com |
Maryland at #17 Minnesota | 3:30 PM | ESPN | WatchESPN.com |
Oklahoma State at #23 Iowa State | 3:30 PM | FS1 | FoxSportsGo.com |
UConn at UMass | 3:30 PM | NESN | FloFootball.com |
North Texas at Charlotte | 3:30 PM | ESPN+ | ESPN+ |
Florida International at Middle Tennessee | 3:30 PM | NFL | NFLNetwork.com |
Florida Atlantic at Old Dominion | 3:30 PM | ESPN+ | ESPN+ |
Syracuse at Florida State | 3:30 PM | ESPN2 | WatchESPN.com |
Virginia at Louisville | 3:30 PM | ACC Network | WatchESPN.com |
Arizona at Stanford | 3:30 PM | Pac-12 Networks | Pac-12.com |
Indiana at Nebraska | 3:30 PM | BTN | FoxSportsGo.com |
Tulane at Navy | 3:30 PM | CBSSN | CBSSports.com |
Central Michigan at Buffalo | 3:30 PM | ESPN+ | ESPN+ |
Eastern Michigan at Toledo | 3:30 PM | ESPN+ | ESPN+ |
Miami (OH) at Kent State | 3:30 PM | ESPN+ | ESPN+ |
Akron at Northern Illinois | 3:30 PM | ESPN3 | WatchESPN.com |
South Florida at East Carolina | 12:45 PM | ESPNU | WatchESPN.com |
Hawai'i at New Mexico | 4:00 PM | Spectrum Sports | |
Duke at North Carolina | 4:00 PM | ACCNX | WatchESPN.com |
South Carolina at Tennessee | 4:00 PM | SEC Network | WatchESPN.com |
Arkansas at #1 Alabama | 7:00 PM | ESPN | WatchESPN.com |
Texas Tech at Kansas | 7:00 PM | FS1 | FoxSportsGo.com |
UCF at Temple | 7:00 PM | ESPN2 | WatchESPN.com |
Memphis at Tulsa | 7:00 PM | CBSSN | CBSSports.com |
Texas State at Arkansas State | 7:00 PM | ESPN+ | ESPN+ |
Troy at Georgia State | 7:00 PM | ESPN+ | ESPN+ |
Boston College at #4 Clemson | 7:30 PM | ACC Network | WatchESPN.com |
#8 Notre Dame at #19 Michigan | 7:30 PM | ABC | WatchESPN.com |
#24 Arizona State at UCLA | 7:30 PM | Pac-12 Networks | Pac-12.com |
Colorado State at Fresno State | 7:30 PM | ESPNU | WatchESPN.com |
Missouri at Kentucky | 7:30 PM | SEC Network | WatchESPN.com |
Louisiana Tech at UTEP | 8:00 PM | ESPN3 | WatchESPN.com |
California at #12 Utah | 10:00 PM | FS1 | FoxSportsGo.com |
Utah State at Air Force | 10:15 PM | ESPN2 | WatchESPN.com |
Washington State at #11 Oregon | 10:30 PM | ESPN | WatchESPN.com |
San Diego State at UNLV | 10:30 PM | CBSSN | CBSSports.com |